Her Will
by Sapphyre Blu
Summary: Each chapter is a stand alone short story that plays with Will's name. Mostly Will and Helen friendship. I'll keep adding to it whenever the muse strikes.
1. Fire at Will

Disclaimer: I own nothing (seriously, look at my bank account).

Henry's face was a bright shade of red when she passed him in the hallway. It clashed horribly with the orange paint spotted over his clothes. Kate followed behind him with only a couple spots of purple paint.

"Hey, doc? If you see Will, tell him you don't know where I am. Okay?"

"Why would I be doing this?"

Henry went to answer, but stammered around his words. Kate was no help since she would laugh anytime Henry began an intelligible sentence and cut him off.

"Come on, I'll protect you," Kate said between giggles.

She took Henry's hand and turned toward Magnus.

"Seriously though, if anybody asks you've never heard of Henry Foss," she said leaving with Henry in tow.

* * *

Magnus knocked gently on Will's bedroom door before opening it slowly. Will was struggling to take off his paint stained vest. Helen helped him by holding onto the vest while he wriggled himself free.

"Thank you," he said.

"Why is Henry hiding from you?"

Will smirked as he took off his shirt gently. He had a few welts on his arms that were not protected when paintballs hit him.

"Probably because he knows I'm going to hurt him."

"Pray tell, what led to this?"

"Oh, I'll pray tell you what happened," Will said after wetting a washcloth.

He was wiping off some paint that splashed on his skin.

"Declan, Henry and I nearly had the enemies (Kate, Biggie and Chuck) surrounded. Even Chuck didn't notice us and he has eyes in the back of his head. I guess Big Guy caught on to our scent because he suddenly turned around. Henry forgot our carefully strategized plan and called out the worst thing I could imagine on the battlefield."

"What is the worst thing you can say on a battlefield?" Magnus asked as she took the washcloth from him.

"He cried 'fire at will' and they took it to mean 'fire at Will'"

He waited for Magnus to finish laughing.

"Even Declan got confused by the statement."

Magnus looked at Will's discarded vest. Sure enough, mixed with the orange paint was some purple paint.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked after wiping a spot he missed by his ear.

"Watch me for signs of PTSD and prep the infirmary for Henry's intake."

"When should I expect Henry?"

"I'll let him stew for a while as I take a nap, so any time after that," Will said.

He lay down on his bed after kicking off his shoes.

"Will?"

"Hmm?"

"I think he was heading for the machine shop."

Will smiled, but kept his eyes shut "Thanks Magnus."


	2. Freewill

"You get kidnapped a lot," Kate said with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"Please, Kate, I get abducted a lot. Kidnapped, makes me sound like I should be on the back of a milk carton."

"I could make a permanent 'Have you seen me?' poster. I would put it up around town, ya know, just as a precaution."

"I think Henry would be more suited for that task. He could make it eye-catching and Photoshop me holding a large sum of money. People would probably be more motivated to find me if they thought I had money."

"They would think that's why you got kidnapped."

"Abducted."

"Whatever. Hank could Photoshop you holding a puppy, now that's a person someone wants to find. Not somebody they think is being held for ransom. Hey, that's what I could do, write you a ransom note. All the kidnappers have to do is fill in the blanks."

"Have you ever written a ransom note? Better yet, don't answer that."

"No seriously, I would start it out _To Whom It May Concern_,"

"Isn't that kind of formal for a ransom note? Plus it would change hands five times before it got to Magnus if it started like that."

"Do you want me to start it out _Yo, Magnus_?"

"If the salutation started with that dastardly grammar, I would throw it away before reading the next sentence. Now are you quite done?"

"Sorry, I'll be quiet."

"Hallelujah."

"Shut up Will."

"I meant are you finished cutting the ropes."

"I got them off his legs. I've been waiting for you to finish with the ones around his arms."

"How about helping me so we can get him home faster?"

"Sure boss. Would you tell your next kidnappers…"

"Abductors."

"To use handcuffs next time? They are easy to pick, or at least ask them to use thinner rope."

"That was the last one Will, you're free," A British accent said.

"Aww, Free Willie," she patted his shoulder. "Get up slowly, okay? Be careful with him, doc, the ropes were tight enough to cut off circulation to his legs."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like the Daphne of this Scooby gang."

Magnus put his arm around her shoulder and gently got him up. Kate got his other arm over her shoulder before he had a chance to fall forward.

"Do me a favor? Next time I get taken, let Kate write a ransom note that has been edited by you, but don't let her in on the rescue."

Helen gently rubbed Will's wrist. Now that her free Will had freewill she could bring him home.


	3. Battle of Wills

A/N: A little on the angsty side this time

Between a layover and the flights, they had now been traveling nine hours homebound from Bolivia. Will had secluded himself to the back of the plane. He sat with his knees to his chest and head buried in his arms. It was always a bad sign when any of her team positioned themselves like that. With her old friend it meant depression, as if lifting his body was too much effort. Henry it meant fear, as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible. Kate it meant she didn't want to be touched, as if she were trying to close off as much of her body as she could. Will it meant emotional distress, as if to block out the external world and focus on his internal one.

Helen watched Will closely as he fought in a quiet war. He was afraid he would say something hurtful like he did in the cave. Right now he had chosen not speaking as a safer course than saying something to add to his regrets. At first Helen was relieved for the silence. She needed to try to control her own anger. Try to sift through Will's earlier words to her and decide what had been said out of spite and what had been truth. Now, into their ninth hour, her anger toward him was nothing but an ember. She was more worried about his emotional wellbeing.

Magnus approached her protégé and rubbed his arm. He relaxed long enough for her to inject him with a concentrated form of the liquid he needed. As soon as the needle was out of his arm he went tense again. Helen sat beside him.

"Could you please leave?" he said after a while.

"Why?" she asked softly.

"It's like many different versions of me are fighting for control. One Will is still angry. One Will can't stand the thought of hurting you again. Another Will is trying to remember who he was before that water. Your presence only confuses things more."

"Tell whichever Will that wants to listen that he doesn't have to be alone."

He didn't respond. He didn't even uncurl himself. Magnus stayed beside him. For now the battle of Wills was a battle of Will's.


	4. Stubborn Will

Her stubborn will was going to get her killed. She refused to leave until she got the last abnormal out of the burning building.

"Go, I'll meet you back at the Sanctuary," she said as she gave Kate the last cage which held the abnormal.

Kate got in the helicopter and gave the pilot the order to leave. Helen had been running between the third floor and the roof to get the abnormals to Kate. Henry and Will were securing the last of the smugglers in the parking lot. The smoke and flames were much worse now. The fire had been started on the third floor. Once she got down a flight of stairs, it should thin out until she was in the clear.

"Bloody hell," she murmured as she saw one last abnormal that had been hiding out of sight.

Even though the creature was shy by nature, it let Helen pick it up and move it out of the smoke. She heard the building creak. Before she could look to see what was happening, a beam fell and knocked her down. Magnus landed on her back with the abnormal against her chest. She tried to leave, but couldn't with a heavy beam on her leg.

She heard someone calling her name and immediately recognized the voice. Will could get himself and the abnormal to safety

"Will, take him and get out of here," she said handing Will the creature.

He took it without comment and she heard his retreating steps. Magnus struggled to get the beam off her left leg. Despite her best efforts, it wouldn't budge. The flames were now creeping toward her. A white cloud of smoke suddenly doused some nearby flames. Helen looked up and saw Will standing with a fire extinguisher.

"I told you to leave," she yelled.

"I did leave," he said.

Will pushed her onto her back and put a wet cloth in her hand.

"Stay below the smoke, breath through the cloth" he told her, but didn't take his own advice.

"You need to get out of here, now," she said through the cloth "I'll meet you back at the van".

Helen didn't have a death wish; she just didn't know how she would get out at the moment. She looked over just in time to see Will dodge being hit by a piece of the ceiling. Her stubborn Will was going to get them both killed.

"Will, leave," she ordered again.

"That's the plan," he responded.

Helen watched as he approached the beam with…a crowbar? When did he get a crowbar? She couldn't help, but ask him that.

"Same place I got a fire extinguisher, Magnus."

Oh, that's right. The smoke must have been getting to her. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them when she felt Will's foot pushing her shoulder.

"Get out of here," she choked out.

"If you want me to leave you have to work with me," he told her. "I'm going to lift this beam up. I need you to move out from under it."

Magnus saw the veins in Will's neck bulge as he put all his strength into lifting the beam with the crowbar. It took a few tries, but he got it off the ground enough for Helen to slide her leg out. Will took her arms and lifted her to her feet. Before she could do anything, he picked her up and got out of the building.

* * *

Helen took off her oxygen mask.

"I told you repeated times to leave," she said lightly.

He looked at her with his head still resting on the back of Henry's van. He pushed his oxygen mask down.

"I was leaving. I just wasn't leaving without you."

She put her arm around his shoulders and he relaxed into her. Magnus felt his arms starting to shake from overusing his muscles. She may have had a stubborn Will, but at least she had a strong Will to help her live.


	5. Will of his own

The little boy in her arms chattered on happily about what he had just seen. She wasn't sure how a seven-year-old covered almost head to toe in red ink could be so chipper. He had recently startled a humanoid abnormal with a defense mechanism similar to an octopus. When she had found the boy he was dripping in the stuff, mouth agape, staring at the abnormal. The abnormal was standing with its hands out ready to attack again.

"How did you do that?" the boy asked excitedly and was about to grab the abnormal's hand to see for himself.

Helen quickly picked the boy up and apologized to the abnormal before heading down the hallway.

"Did you see that? How did she do that? What does she use it for?"

"I'll explain it to you while I clean you up," she laughed.

She wanted to be stern with him, but he was such a sight with his face covered in red and excitement in his voice.

She saw the child's father as they rounded the corner.

"Hey Magnus?..." he was looking at a file and about to ask her something.

He stopped abruptly when he saw her, or rather the sight of what she was holding.

"Oh, Liam," he addressed his son.

Will had to physically turn around to not outright laugh at the sight before him. He turned back to them with a neutral expression that was shaky at best.

"You went into level 2 didn't you?"

Liam nodded.

"After I told you that you were not allowed?"

"The door was open," the boy stated.

"Liam, you need to apologize to Auntie Helen for going where you're not supposed to and her ruined clothes."

The child looked down and noticed the red mixing with polyester.

"Sorry for that," was his blanket apology.

Magnus accepted it.

Will went to take his son from Magnus' arms, but she brushed him off claiming there was no sense in ruining one more person's clothes. He followed her down the hallway.

"I'm sorry about him. He has a will of his own."

Helen looked at the seven-year-old. He was called Liam to differentiate himself from his father whom he was named after. She often called him Will because he was too much like his father especially his endless curiosity.

The elder Will must have been having similar thoughts, for he suddenly chuckled and said , "I distinctly remember my mother telling me she hoped I had a child like myself so that I would understand what it was like."

Helen couldn't help but smile. It was so apropos. Her Will now had a Will of his own.


	6. Will to live

A/N: A bit dark this time

If she fell off the case holding her above water she would have no strength to swim back up. She could simply let go and it would all be over. Maybe she would be with Ashley before her birthday next Tuesday. Helen shook her head trying to rid herself of the dark thoughts. Her and Will had been in the water for two hours since the explosion. She heard a helicopter circling in the distance, but it was still half an hour out if it was following the normal search patterns. 'Let go and it will all be over' her thoughts tried to tempt her again. Her mind betrayed her by considering the thought. She remembered her daughter and all the friends and family she lost before Ashley. Helen looked down into the black ocean. It wasn't exactly what she pictured as her final resting place.

The sound of Will gagging brought her out of her morbid reverie. The first thing they did when the helicopter sunk was to tie the buoyant cases together. Will was only inches from her, but had lost consciousness a short time ago. Helen grabbed Will's wrist once his body started to heave. She hoped he wouldn't throw up again. He was already dehydrated. The thought of Will falling into the water scared her more. If he did, she would either sink with him, or have to find the strength to get them both back up. His body eventually stilled. Her earlier thoughts were starting to come back to taunt her once more. She gave no heed to them this time. The helicopter was getting closer. She had to stay alert to wave it down and be sure that her and Will they would both be on it. For the briefest of seconds, Will opened his eyes and looked at Helen. She swore she saw him smirk, as if he were about to tell a joke, before he slipped back into unconsciousness. She kept a grip on his wrist and waited. Right now her will to live was for her Will to live.


	7. Against her Will

How do you get home when you don't know where you are? That was the question that went through Helen Magnus' mind. At least the last time John had teleported her and Ashley he had left them somewhere recognizable. This time was different. This time she really ticked him off. She showed up before he could execute his nefarious plan and ruined everything he had worked on. He had taken her, against her will, and left her alone in the middle of nowhere. She knew she had to still be in the North West by the position of the sun. There was no doubt she was on a mountain. The snow was deep under her feet and it was getting increasingly hard to think as the cold set in. Helen continued to climb down the mountain to the best of her abilities with no climbing gear and no gloves. She had to stop as soon as the sun went down. Magnus built a makeshift shelter to stay for the night. She curled up tightly in her leather jacket and eventually went to sleep with the bone deep cold creeping in around her.

Upon waking up she was warm and consequently confused. She couldn't have dreamed the whole scenario. Helen opened her eyes and hoped the warmth wouldn't go away. The first thing she saw was Henry. He smiled and greeted her with a simple "hi boss."

Helen looked around and noticed she was in Henry's van.

"How?" she asked with a raw voice.

Henry held a bottle of water to her lips and she gladly took a few sips.

"You slept through the helicopter ride down the mountain," he informed her.

"How did you find me?" she clarified.

Henry gave a sheepish grin and looked just above Helen's head. She followed his line of sight and was almost nose to nose with Will. He was holding her tightly against him. There was a blanket wrapped around both of them to help her sap some of his body heat.

"Once we heard Druitt was in town, I may have persuaded Henry to put a GPS in the lining of your coat."

"I would have preferred to have put it in your shoes, but you own like a thousand of them," Henry added.

"Remind me to go over the rules of privacy in the Sanctuary charter with you two when we get home."

Regardless of how it happened, she was happy they found her and were heading back to the Sanctuary. Helen put her head against Will's chest. She basked in the warmth of being held against her Will and closed her eyes.

"Henry?" She heard Will say as she started to drift off.

"Huh?"

"I won't remind her if you don't."

"Deal," Henry affirmed.

A/N: I'm going to miss this show, but I'm glad it got four great seasons.


	8. Will Power

A/N: For Cjjosh4ever, thank you for the review!

"You wanna see a movie or something, Hank?"

"In case you don't remember, I went full HAP today, I usually get migraines afterwards."

"It was more of the coming back from the wolf boy form that I remember. That was more Hank than I ever wanted to see."

"Hey," he protested.

"How about you Big Guy?"

"Don't do crowds."

"Will?"

"Patients and paperwork."

"Why are you in the media room with the rest of us?"

"I'll start after the game."

"Magnus, want to see a movie or something?"

"I have not had too much of an interest in films even when they added sound to them."

"You know they make them in color now and everything," Henry piped in.

"Sometimes it sucks being the only one who's not an abnormal."

"Excuse me?" Will said insulted. "I'm not abnormal."

Kate came over to him and put both her hands over his eyes.

"How many tiles are in this room?"

"240, but I could have figured that out at any…"

"What color nail polish are Magnus and I wearing?"

"Magnus dark red, you none, but that's…"

"What does Big Guy have in his right shirt pocket?"

"A handkerchief and his pocket is on his left. Anybody would…"

"What's wrong with Hank's watch?"

"It's four minutes fast. Okay point taken."

Kate took her hands off his eyes. Will looked over to see Henry comparing his watch to the time on his cell phone.

"His Will Power is as sharp as ever," Henry said to Kate.

"What?"

"Oh yeah, that freaky thing you do with your brain, Hank and I thought it was kinda like a superpower, so we call it Will Power."

"I'm still not an abnormal."

"I will cover your eyes again."

"Kate, if you really feel like going out, Jeff was asking for a second person to help him pick up an infant hydra," Helen offered.

"I could do that. Plus I like Jeff. I bet he might even want to see a movie. He's not an abnormal either."

"Henry, check the oil in her car before she goes."

"Sure thing, Big Guy."

There was only the sound of the television for the next few minutes.

"Magnus? Am I an abnormal?"

"Not genetically. Your Will Power is a product of practice and intellect."

"Et Tu Magnus?"

"I have to say it is quite catchy."

"I'm going to have to use my will power to not throw something at the next person who refers to my observations as Will Power."

"Go start your paperwork and I'll pretend I never heard the expression."

Will got up to leave.

"Will Power," he heard poorly disguised as a cough, followed immediately by a chuckle.

He found a pen in his pocket and threw it at Big Guy before running for his life


End file.
